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*This is a revised and updated version of a post I published on the blog back in 2011.

I feel like I walk a fine line as a blogger sometimes. First and foremost, I am a bibliophile. But I am also a high school English teacher, a lover of technology, and a book reviewer. Because I review books that I receive from publishers and at conferences, I am fortunate to receive ARCs, or advance review copies, sometimes. This means I get to read and review some books before they are published.

ARCs and review copies I picked up at NCTE this past November. All ARCs went to my classroom library.

I teach at a fabulous high school that shares a campus with the local community college. We do not have a school library, but the students have access to the campus library at all times. This means they can access databases, journals, and other periodicals that most high schools can’t afford. But it also means that they do not have a library geared towards high schoolers. There is no YA section, no popular fiction section, no best-sellers shelf. Thus, my classroom library is utilized by many students in my school of almost 300.

All over the country, education budgets are being slashed, teachers are having their pay cut, and school librarians are being RIFed. Classroom libraries, which are almost always to be teacher-funded (out of teachers’ own pockets), are certainly suffering. However, research shows that classroom libraries are vital – they encourage students to read more! We need to do everything we can to encourage students to become lifelong readers. But it takes a village to raise a reader.

According to research, school libraries should provide at least 13 books per student. That means I need 3900 books for my students! Those books should be age-appropriate, showcase a variety of genres, support the curriculum, and reflect student interests. I am going to be honest here- I can not afford to purchase the dozens of books my students need every year. I pay for all of the books in my classroom library, just like most teachers. In my case, I am very lucky because I do receive review copies and ARCs, from publishers and at conferences like NCTE. For other teachers, this means ordering from Scholastic, visiting warehouse sales, soliciting donations from students/parents, and looking longingly at those new titles in the bookstore but knowing it’s impossible to buy them all.

As a blogger/reviewer, I know I am extremely lucky. I have access to review copies and ARCs, which are all placed in my classroom library. Publishers value the “buzz” that is generated by these early copies and my students love that they get a chance to read books before they are officially published. I start the year by explaining what ARCs are and showing the students some unfinished copies. My sixth-graders and my high schoolers both understood that ARCs are not finished works and may differ from the final draft. But ARCs work wonders with readers.

ARCs are magical. Nothing hooks a reluctant reader like the promise of reading a story before the rest of the world has access to it. That, plus the knowledge that they can share their thoughts on Goodreads is the best motivator I have! I utilize ARCs almost daily in my classroom. At the beginning of the school year, I explain ARCs to my students. We analyze a few older copies (whatever hasn’t fallen apart from the year before) and note the differences between ARCs and finished copies. This ensures that the students are aware that ARCs are not final copies and may have errors in them, lack illustrations, and so on. The students are usually fascinated by this because they have not had access to ARCs in the past or never knew they existed.

I show the students our ARCs shelf and explain how it will be updated whenever I get new ARCs. I tell the students that they are free to borrow ARCs at any time, but there is one requirement: they must share their ARC experience after reading it. This can mean writing a review on Goodreads, passing the recommendation on to a friend, or ordering a finished copy of their own. Whenever I get a new ARC, I try to booktalk it before placing it in the library. As soon as I mention “ARC”, students wake up and pay attention.

ARCs help me decide how to develop my classroom library collection, too. If an ARC catches fire and is passed from student to student, falling apart as it moves through the class, I know I need to order a few finished copies. This happened with The Hunger Games when I taught 6th grade. My single ARC was in tatters before the finished copies were published, long before most people knew who Katniss, Gale, and Peeta were. I knew I would need more than one copy on my bookshelf because the ARC was so popular. Needless to say, I was right. More recently, my ARC of Matthew Quick’s Boy21 became popular with many of my students and I made sure to purchase a finished copy for the classroom library. If an ARC has a small, but dedicated, fanbase, I make sure I put a single copy in the classroom. If an ARC has a rabid following, then I will try to find more than one copy. ARCs usually last a season or two in my classroom before falling apart, so it is imperative that I replace the most popular and well-loved ARCs with finished copies!

Unfortunately, many teachers don’t have access to ARCs because they don’t blog, can’t afford to attend conferences, and aren’t aware of local publisher previews. That is why I started #ARCsFloatOn. ARCs can not be cataloged in libraries (public or school) because they are not finished copies. They also can not be sold. Thus, many reviewers end up throwing ARCs away after they read them, often long before the finished copies are produced. There are thousands of teachers across the country who are dying to give those ARCs a second chance. They put them in classroom libraries, give them to student groups, and use them to make collection development decision.

#ARCsFloatOn encourages reviewers to recycle those ARCs and get them into the hands of kids and teens!

ARCs Float On is a grassroots effort by me, a Reach A Reader Advisory Board member. The program aims to get ARCs into classroom libraries by matching willing donors with needy teachers.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Teachers interested in being contacted by donors may register here. Your information will be vetted and added to our searchable database. Reviewers with books to donate may search the database for schools. Donors are then responsible for contacting teachers with a list of the books they have available, and to arrange for shipping or dropoff of the books–it’s up to both parties how to “float” the ARCs. Donors are responsible for all arrangements and shipping costs. We just provide you with the means to connect.

I’ve shipped many middle grade and elementary ARCs to other teachers, using Priority Mail flat rate boxes. For approximately $11 I can ship 15-20 books to another teacher. Most of the time, the teachers are willing to pay shipping costs, which makes it even easier for the donors.

If you are interested in donating books, you may check our database at the #ARCsFloatOn website.

By donating the books that you receive for free, you are promoting awareness of great books and authors, helping teachers and librarians, and encouraging more reading. You can learn even more about this initiative through the Twitter hashtag, #ARCsFloatOn.

I can’t imagine not having the opportunity to share ARCs with my students. Like a librarian or bookseller, I am constantly handselling books to my students. A highly coveted ARC can turn into 10-20 book sales within my school. But more importantly, at least to me, an ARC can turn a dormant reader into a voracious reader. Having the opportunity to read a story and share an opinion before the general public can attract dormant readers to my classroom library. And reading one book can lead to reading another. It can lead to a student finding a favorite author or a genre they enjoy. And that means we all win. This is why e-ARCs don’t work for me. I need paper copies because e-ARCs expire and can not be shared with my students. I would hate to see paper ARCs eliminated. Instead, I want to see paper ARCs getting a second and third chance at life in classroom libraries!

*#ARCsFloatOn is endorsed by many of the major publishers! They are happy to see ARCs getting into the hands of students. ARCs can not be cataloged in a library, but classroom libraries are a-ok. The ARCs don’t last long (a season or so) and most teachers then end up purchasing a hardcover copy. Again, a win-win for publishers and students alike.

4 Responses

I completely agree! I’m a blogger, too (over at The Book Swarm) as well as an English teacher and having ARCs in my classroom has done wonders for my students. Reluctant readers have become rabid readers. Kids pass around books they’re excited about. Students are introduced to fabulous authors that they might never have heard about otherwise.

I’m moving to a new school next year with a brand new library…which isn’t going to have many books because we’re 1:1 computing. We won’t even have many ebooks to share. This is, unfortunately, the wave of the future–less books, because students have “access to the internet” (direct quote from a district office person. grr). This movement and type of attitude makes it exponentially more important for teachers to have lots of books in their classroom. ARCs Float On is a fantastic way to share the wealth.

I recently came across an author explaining why she didn’t like her ARCs roaming after the book published, which I found quite narrow-minded. http://t.co/57NAS7II

It’s true that it isn’t a finished version of the book, but surely if it falls into the hands of someone who doesn’t have easy access to books, it can only be for the best! Not to mention all those fans out there who love the idea of an obscure, limited copy by their favorite author. ARCs Float On sounds like a fantastic endeavor and I’m so glad to know about it!